


The Charred Corpse

by phantomofthehoepera



Series: The Ongoing Case Of Ricky Goldsworth [6]
Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: 1930s, Detectives, F/F, Gen, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-24 18:22:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20710481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomofthehoepera/pseuds/phantomofthehoepera
Summary: When a mysterious man shows up, threatening Francesca's safety, the gang has to take immediate action. Of course, things usually work out okay for them so why should it be any different this time?





	The Charred Corpse

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE contact me if you know that there are things you might find triggering and I can tell you if something like that happens in this chapter, because I know there are a few things that might be disturbing but I don't want to spoil unless necessary

The sun was rising over Los Demonios, its first rays touching the cobblestone of Black Bear Alley where four people were currently walking in silence. They were all quite tired, and visibly so. All of them except for one were wounded in some way, and despite being completely fine the uninjured woman’s dark skin was still stained with blood. The woman walking next to her had a bruised temple and didn’t seem like she could keep her balance properly, the short man behind her had a shirt sleeve tied around his arm and the tallest of the group winced and clutched his ribs now and then. C.C. Tinsley, formerly a detective of Old York’s police department, and his friends had had a rough night. 

They slowly made their way through the alley towards door 42, which Francesca opened and held open for the rest of the group. Tinsley nodded gratefully to her, and she returned it, both of them too tired to speak. The two of them followed Ricky and Joan up the stairs to their apartments, Tinsley ending up at the back of the group. He was deep in thought, trying to sort the evening out, so much so that he didn’t notice his friends stopping until he bumped into Francesca. 

”What’s going on?” He asked, his voice somewhat slurred from the fatigue. 

”I believe we have a visitor” The strained nature of Joan’s cheerful tone did not go unnoticed by Tinsley, and he braced himself as Francesca let him pass her. 

In the corridor before him stood a man, dressed in a suit and a long, tan coat that looked like spilling coffee on it would ruin your whole month. He stared the group down with cold eyes, not yet saying a word. Tinsley stared right back, noticing Francesca taking a step back down the stairs behind him. This made the man’s eyes narrow, and he finally spoke with a raspy voice. 

”On your way somewhere, ms Norris?” He pushed the coat back, putting his hands in his pockets ”Why, you just got here” 

”Not going anywhere, sir” Francesca’s voice was steady, but as strained as Joan’s had been. 

”I sure hope not. You know that’d do you no good” 

”Yes, sir” Neither the man, nor Francesca said anything more past that, simply returning to their staring contest. Tinsley felt it was time to intervene, seeing as he felt like he’d missed something. 

”If you don’t mind, you’ve entered our home and it sounds like you’re threatening a friend of ours” Tinsley could almost hear Joan and Ricky gearing up for a fight behind him ”So if you would introduce yourself, it _would _ease our minds a little. It might make us slightly nicer when we throw you out” 

The man snorted. 

”Don’t worry about that, I’ll be leaving in no time. I just came here to tell Francesca she’s out of time” He moved closer to Tinsley, extending a hand that Tinsley didn’t take ”The name’s J.J. Jones. And you must be mr Tinsley” 

”I am” Tinsley put his hands on his hips and didn’t say anything else, not wanting to give Jones the satisfaction of asking how he knew his name. 

”Which would make you” Jones gestured to Joan ”Joan Porter, correct?” 

Joan didn’t say anything, so Tinsley could only assume she’d nodded in confirmation. 

”And you are…” Jones frowned fixing his gaze to the left of Tinsley, where Ricky stood. 

”No one important, surely, if you haven’t been able to dig that up” Tinsley could hear the challenging smirk in Ricky’s voice and almost joined in. Really, it was quite satisfying to not be on the receiving end of Ricky’s general…Rickyness. Watching it have the desired effect (annoyance) on Jones was rewarding enough to almost make him forget how much his entire body ached, and how exhausted he was. 

”Very well” Jones gave everyone present a glare each, then moved for the stairs, the group parting for him without a word. His footsteps echoed through the staircase for a while, and not until they were cut off by him shutting the door did Tinsley relax. He let out a deep breath, then turned to Francesca who looked shaken. 

”’Out of time’?” Tinsley repeated what Jones had said and Francesca pulled a face. 

”It’s nothing” She made a dismissive gesture ”Just an old acquaintance” 

Tinsley didn’t believe that for a second, but it didn’t seem like Francesca wanted to talk about it, so he decided not to press the matter for now. Instead he said goodnight to her and Joan as they retired to their apartment for the night, Tinsley and Ricky doing the same. They didn’t say much to each other, just a few words on how Jones had seemed like a piece of shit (Ricky’s words specifically, in that case) and the Fear situation. Pretty soon, Ricky went to bed, and Tinsley would have joined him if Jones’ visit hadn’t made him so restless. 

With a stifled yawn, he walked into the kitchen and opened the evening paper, immediately finding yet another headline about an axe murder. He read through the article until he found the location, then spread out the city map over the kitchen table and marked this adress too on it. Absentmindedly, he traced the almost completed circle with the tip of his finger, while trying to figure out what Legs was up to. 

_A ritual, _he had said. Now, that wasn’t exactly Tinsley’s field of expertise. For a moment he considered waking Ricky up, but quickly scrapped that idea, figuring that Ricky wouldn’t be all too please at being dragged up to talk about the occult, no matter how much it fascinated him. That left Tinsley with not much to do but speculate on Legs himself. He _had _sent them to Fear’s, which had turned into a nightmare, and really there was no telling if that had been a deliberate move on his part or not, considering he’d killed nearly ten people just in the short time Tinsley had been in town, but- 

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. No, scratch that, a knock on the doorframe, as Francesca was already inside. 

”I could have sworn I locked” Tinsley smiled at her and nudged a chair out with hit foot, inviting her to sit. 

”You must have forgotten” She retorted as she sat down, then cast a glance around the room ”Do you have any tea, or something. Preferably with sugar” 

”I’ll see what I can do” Tinsley promised and got out of his chair, making for the kitchen cabinet. He rummaged through it for teabags, eventually finding a box of them as well as one with a few sugar cubes. After putting the two boxes down on the counter he filled a saucepan with water and put it on the stove, letting it heat up while he placed two mugs on the kitchen table. As he did, he found that Francesca had taken to studying the map, like he’d done earlier and he pointed out the circle to her. 

”I’m guessing his goal is to complete it. I just have no idea why” 

”Who’s to say really” Francesca sighed ”This demon stuff really is starting to get on my nerves” 

”Tell me about it” Tinsley noticed the water had started boiling and grabbed it from the stove, filling both their cups ”It’s not easy being a regular human these days” 

”Cheers to that” Francesca put three cubes of sugar in her tea and raised her mug towards Tinsley, who returned the gesture. The two of them sat in silence for a while after that, waiting for the tea to cool down enough to be drinkable. Looking out the window, Tinsley could make out a clocktower in the distance, its hands steadily turning towards, and soon passing, midnight. 

”So” He finally broke the silence ”Who’s this Jones fellow?” 

”Ugh, where do I start” Francesca took a sip of her tea ”To begin with, he’s a prick. Other than that he’s the police chief here in town” 

_Oh great. _

”Good for him” Tinsley nodded ”What’s his deal with you, then?” 

”It’s a bit complicated…” She trailed off, drumming her finger on the table. 

”If you don’t want to talk about if, it’s-” 

”No I do want to talk” She interrupted Tinsley ”It’s just, well, it’s a lot. I’m worried about you guys, and I’m worried for myself. He’s not a good man to make an enemy of” 

”And you’ve done that?” Tinsley got the feeling that would have been quite easy to do. Jones didn’t exactly seem pleasant. 

”In a sense, but he’s always disliked me” Francesca took another sip ”Have I ever told you what I work with?” 

”Not in great detail” Now _there _was something incredibly interesting, and Tinsley found himself leaning slightly forward, eager to hear what Francesca told him.

”Well, I do a bunch of spy work for anyone who might need me. Doesn’t matter if they’re LDPD or mob bosses” She shrugged ”I don’t make a habit of concealing that bit. People know who they’re hiring. Jones did too, he just didn’t appreciate the fact. But he was getting desperate for intel on Legs and Night Night, and nearly the whole police force is under their thumb at the moment” 

She paused for a moment and Tinsley held his breath, the gears turning in his brain. 

”I just offered my services to those two as well and I was in just like that. I left my reports while they sent me off to find you and Ricky, but after everything with that Doroftei woman I didn’t really have time for it, and he got impatient. Safe to say, I’ve run out of goodwill at this point” 

Tinsley stared at her. 

”What does that mean for you?” He asked, dreading the answer. Jones hadn’t exactly sounded like he was going to let Francesca go with a warning. 

”Who knows?” Francesca sighed deeply ”Prison, maybe. Or worse, if he can get away with it” 

The silence was nearly deafening, both of the two deep in thought. Or at least, Tinsley thought Francesca looked like she was. She had her eyes on the window and a frown on her face. 

”Is there anything I can do to help?” Tinsley finally asked her. 

”Well, in fact” She reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope ”If you could deliver this to an old friend of mine, I’d be incredibly grateful” 

”Of course” Tinsley took it without hesitation ”Who are they?” 

”Banjo McClintock. He lives outside town” Francesca smiled at him ”It means a lot that you’d do this, Tinsley” 

”Well, what are friends for, right?” He returned the smile ”Is there anything else?” 

Francesca thought for a moment. 

”Bring Ricky, but don’t tell him anything about this for now” She sighed ”If I know him his first solution will be to just off Jones, and while I would love to, that’d only get us all in more trouble than necessary. Especially you and Joan. This isn’t like ms Doroftei, if Jones gets killed there’ll be people coming after us” 

Tinsley nodded, he understood, even if he didn’t particularly like keeping a secret like this. 

”Have you told Joan?” He asked and Francesca smiled softly. 

”Not yet. I’m going to, though” 

”Good” Tinsley considered asking more about Joan. Would that be intruding? He studied Francesca’s expression, her eyes still smiling even after her mouth stopped, and finally decided that now probably wasn’t the best time. Who knew when the best time was going to be, really, but Tinsley figured it didn’t matter. As long as both her and Joan were happy. 

They called it a night after Francesca had written down instructions on how to get to McClintock’s, and she went back to her apartment. Tinsley stayed up for a while longer, studying the map, but found that he was losing his focus and finally starting to relax. With a last yawn he put the map down and headed to bed, falling asleep almost instantly. 

The bus rattled precariously with every bump in the road, Ricky looking more and more annoyed each time it happened. Tinsley didn’t find the mode of transportation pleasant either, but he did have the comfort of knowing they had a good reason for it. He ignored Ricky, who had started to mutter, and studied the time table he’d bought at Central Station. They’d boarded the bus at 7:30, but it’d still be well into the evening before they reached their stop, it seemed. Swamp’s End was the last station on the long list of ones the bus would pass, in what seemed to be a rather unnecessary winding path, at least so far. Tinsley could have sworn he’d seen the same plaza at least three times. 

With a sigh he rested his head against the window, hoping to get some sleep, but could barely close his eyes before Ricky elbowed him awake. 

”Don’t go dozing off on me now?” He glared at Tinsley ”If you’re going to drag me out to the middle of nowhere the least you can do is entertain me on the way” 

”What do you want me to do?” Tinsley rolled his eyes but sat up again and turned towards Ricky, who shrugged. 

”Dunno. Say something stupid I can laugh at you for” 

”I would never” Tinsley chuckled. He fell silent for a moment, not intending to continue the conversation, but suddenly remembered what he’d been doing last night. 

”I did want to ask you something” He cast a quick glance around the bus, checking if anyone was sitting close by. There were only three more people in the bus, and most of them sat by the front, so he figured he didn’t have to keep his voice too low. 

”Shoot” Ricky looked intrigued. 

”So did I tell you about Legs?” Tinsley asked and Ricky nodded. 

”At least most of it, I think. Something about him axing a bunch of people” 

”Yeah, well there’s a bit more to it than that, it turns out” Tinsley thought about how to explain the whole thing for a moment ”I asked him about it when me and Joan met up with him and he said he was doing it for some kind of ritual” 

”That’s weird” Ricky’s eyes narrowed ”He’s a demon, he shouldn’t have to do rituals” 

”Really?” Tinsley had learned something new today, it seemed ”Well, that’s what he said it was, anyway. He just didn’t say what it was for, and I thought you might know” 

”Hm” Ricky frowned deeply, then shrugged ”No idea, to be honest. You really can’t tell with demons” 

”And you don’t have any speculations?” 

”Nope” Ricky shook his head ”If I come up with something I’ll tell you, though” 

”Right” Tinsley nodded. He was silent for a moment, considering trying to sleep again, but then figured keeping up a conversation for a while couldn’t hurt. 

”So anyway, have you noticed what’s going on between Francesca and Joan?” 

They arrived at Swamp’s End as the sun was setting, just as Tinsley had predicted. And while he couldn’t be entirely sure, he was fairly certain he’d been right when he assumed they could have gotten there quicker if the bus route hadn’t been so complicated. 

He surveyed the area around the bus stop, a clear area in the middle of a forest, lit up by a single street light. The road disappeared into the shadows of the trees, the sounds of the now empty bus growing more and more distant and mixing with the local fauna. The smell of wetlands hung heavy in the air, almost sickly sweet. 

”Well” Tinsley pulled Francesca’s instructions out of his pocket and studied them ”There’s supposed to be a path here somewhere. We just have to follow it” 

”Gotcha” Ricky and him split up and started looking as the sun sank towards the horizon. Tinsley waded through knee-high grass for what felt like hours, and finally found an almost completely hidden dirt trail behind the bus stop. He called Ricky over and they stood for a while, spying into the darkness. 

”Shall we?” Tinsley finally asked. 

”After you” 

Rolling his eyes, Tinsley stepped onto the trail and started walking, noting his surroundings as best as he could. The more his eyes got used to the dark, the further he could see and found that large puddles were starting to appear, more often the longer they followed the trail at that. Finally, a light appeared in the distance and as they reached it, they found that it was a lantern, hanging on the side of a bridge and illuminating the swamp water beneath. The bridge stood on stilts in the water and went on further than Tinsley could see, disappearing between the huge trees. He waited for a moment to let Ricky catch up, then continued, following the bridge without hesitation. 

The world once again got darker as they got further and further from the lantern. The sun was completely gone by now, leaving only moonlight reflected in the dark water, along with Tinsley and Ricky’s silhouettes. Now and then the bridge would creak when Tinsley stepped on it, but other than that, not much noise could be heard. And despite the worrying noises, the bridge carried their combined weight, snaking its way between the trees until they rounded a final corner and Tinsley once again noticed a light before them. 

This one came from an oil lamp, hung on the porch of a rackety cottage. It stood on the edge of a small island, the porch itself hanging over the edge and serving as a dock for a boat, almost as large as the house. On the deck of said boat, a man was sat in a rocking chair, wearing a straw hat and what looked like an old prison uniform. He had his nose in a book, but looked up as Tinsley and Ricky stepped off the bridge with a loud creak. 

”Hey there!” He grinned widely, putting his book down ”Now there’s a sight we don’t see often here. You two just out on a walk in the moonlight?” 

”We’re here on business, I’m afraid” Tinsley explained as he got closer to the man ”You are Banjo McClintock, right?” 

”In the flesh” McClintock got out of his chair and left the boat to meet Tinsley and Ricky on the porch ”How come you’re here, then?” 

”I have a letter for you” Tinsley got it out of his pocket ”From a common friend, Francesca” 

”Oh!” McClintock’s face lit up and he took the letter ”Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a while. How’s she been?” 

”Not so well, I’m afraid. She needs your help with something” Tinsley explained, not looking at Ricky. No doubt, he’d have questions for Tinsley later, but that’d have to be a problem for then. For now, Tinsley just focused on McClintock as he read the letter with a worried expression. It didn’t take him long to finish it, and once he had he quickly pocketed it and made for the house, muttering something under his breath. Tinsley stayed, unsure of what to do, and with a quick glance at Ricky he confirmed that his friend was equally perplexed. 

McClintock opened the door, and finally turned around. 

”Well, what are you waiting for?” He gestured towards the door ”Come inside” 

Tinsley obediently did as McClintock had said, hearing Ricky follow him not far behind. They stepped into the house and were led into a messy kitchen, where McClintock sat down at a table that looked like it had been assembled from all manner of driftwood, inviting Ricky and Tinsley to join him. 

”Right” He scratched his beard ”I’m going to try to do what I can to help Francesca. I can’t promise anything, though” 

”Did she tell you what’s going on?” Ricky leaned forward and McClintock shook his head. 

”She just said it was urgent” He sighed and was quiet for a while, then suddenly stood up. 

”Anyway! You two must have taken the bus, right? The next one won’t be here until morning, so it’s probably best if you just stay the night” 

”That’s very generous of you, mr McClintock” Tinsley felt relieved at not having to spend more time on the bus so soon. Ricky too, looked like he greatly appreciated the offer. 

”Please, call me Banjo” Banjo led the two up a creaking staircase that felt like it was tilting slightly. In fact, the whole upper floor felt tilted, but Banjo reassured them that it was fine. He showed them to a cramped room, where two beds stood, then got blankets and pillows out of a wardrobe. As he made the beds, Tinsley looked out of the room’s only window, finding that he couldn’t see much pf anything, besides Banjo’s boat. 

”Well then, have a good night” Banjo had finished setting the beds and now quickly exited the room with a final wave. He hadn’t been gone a minute, before Ricky grabbed Tinsley by the arm and spun him around. 

”Right” He growled ”What aren’t you telling me?” 

”Francesca asked me not to” Tinsley pulled himself free ”But I was going to, eventually” 

”Well, here’s your chance” Ricky was still glaring at him ”Get to it” 

Sighing in defeat, Tinsley started going over the whole affair, from who Jones was, to what little he knew about why he was after Francesca, and finally ending with why she hadn’t wanted Ricky to know. He kept his eyes on Ricky the whole time, hoping to catch if his friend’s mood made a turn for the troubling in time. 

”Just try to understand, okay” He finished ”She didn’t want to hide anything from you to be mean or whatever, she just wants us all safe” 

Ricky didn’t say anything, and didn’t meet Tinsley’s gaze. At some point during the explanation he’d turned his glare to the window, and looked like he was damn near melting a hole in it. With a shuddering breath, he flexed his fingers, which had up until now been curled up tightly in his fist. 

”And you don’t know what she’s planning?” Ricky’s voice was strained, and Tinsley shook his head. 

”She didn’t tell me much, but I assume she knows what she’s doing” He declined to add the ”_I hope” _he had on the tip of his tongue, since he couldn’t imagine that that would improve the situation in any way. 

”She better” Ricky sat down on one of the beds, gripping the sheets tightly. He didn’t say anything, and didn’t even move for a long time, until he finally laid down and turned his back to Tinsley, who did the same, resigned to the fact that Ricky would be mad at him for some time. Not without reason, of course, but it was frustrating nonetheless. After all, it wasn’t as if Tinsley liked the situation more than his friend. 

He laid awake, the thoughts spinning in his head keeping him from fully relaxing. The wind was starting to pick up, and now and then gusts would hit the house, making it creak and chilling the room temporarily. Downstairs, Tinsley could hear Banjo rummaging around with something well into the early hours. He tried to focus on the noises their host was making to take his mind off things, and finally found himself drifting off as the birds outside started chirping. 

The next morning, Tinsley and Ricky were offered a steady breakfast, albeit tasting slightly odd and having a strange, greenish hue. It wasn’t mold, Banjo assured them, and since Tinsley was hungry he figured it was best to just not think too much about it. He finished his breakfast, and he and Ricky were sent off by Banjo. They hurried over the bridge, their path just barely visible in the limited light and managed to catch the bus just in time. 

This time, Ricky wasn’t in the mood to talk, and Tinsley leaned his head on the window, watching the rising sun filter through the huge trees that grew fewer and fewer the further they got from Swamp’s End. Cornfields were starting to take their places, but- Tinsley noticed- the swamp continued further off, eventually connecting to a river that continued all the way into Los Demonios. As they passed the town’s first buildings, Tinsley dozed off and slept for the remaining hours of the bus ride. 

They reached Black Bear Alley 42 as the sun was setting, still not talking. Tinsley unlocked the door to their apartment and let Ricky in, then went to knock on Francesca and Joan’s door. There came no response, so he tried the door handle and found it was unlocked. 

”Francesca?” He said as he entered, turning on the light in the hallway. There was no response, and he opened the door to the bedroom to see if perhaps, the two had already gone to sleep. However, the bed was empty and the covers were in place, so he moved on to the final room- the kitchen. 

It too was empty, but there was a note on the table, which Tinsley picked up and started reading. 

_”Dear Tinsley and Ricky, _

_I am sorry for not telling you beforehand, but me and Joan will be leaving for a couple of days. Whatever happens, do not worry and do not doubt that you will see us again soon._

_Love, Francesca.” _

Tinsley was certain the note had been meant as a reassuring one, but he did not feel reassured in the slightest. Perhaps it was that he didn’t know what Francesca was planning, or where she and Joan had gone, or perhaps it was simply because of the timing. Them leaving so soon after Jones showed up, and both Francesca and Joan leaving while they were gone. It made Tinsley feel uneasy, he just couldn’t put his finger on why exactly. 

Ricky didn’t know either, but did agree that it was odd. It was good to hear him talk again, even though it might have been more due to the gravity of the situation than due to his mood improving. 

”And you have no idea where they could have gone to?” He asked, looking up at Tinsley from where he was sitting on the bed. 

”None whatsoever” Tinsley shook his head ”We can’t do more than wait, I suppose” 

”Yeah” Ricky stared at the floor for a while, seemingly thinking to himself, until he let himself fall back onto the bed. 

”Well, then I’m going to sleep. See you tomorrow” 

”Sleep well” Tinsley left the room and closed the door behind him, then made for the kitchen. He sat down at the table and unfolded the city map, studying the murder sites once more. It was calming, letting his mind be consumed by a seemingly unsolvable problem, that still seemed so far away. Never coming too close to him, nor his friends. It was like reading a mystery novel and trying to figure out who did it before the characters, like he’d done as a child, waiting for his parents to come home from work. 

It was odd how a supernatural murder mystery made him reminiscence, but somehow it did. It took him back to offices filled with old books, a hint of perfume and the murmuring voices of an old man. They’d be the same age in just a few years, Tinsley and the man from his memories, he thought as he put his chin in his hands, leaning over the table. It was an odd thought, but not nearly as horrible as it could have been. It was just a simple, mathematical fact. Nothing more, and nothing less. 

Before he knew it, Tinsley had fallen asleep, leaned over the table and with his crossed arms as a pillow. 

He wished he could have said that the following two days went by in a haze, but it was more like trying to swim through syrup while dragging a dead body after him. Slow, exhausting and weird in every conceivable way. Both him and Ricky hung around the apartment like restless spirits, just waiting for the days to go by. 

Then, on the third morning, time abruptly started moving properly again when the morning paper arrived. Tinsley picked it off the floor, hoping to find something new about Legs, then immediately dropped it again. As he crouched down to pick it up he felt his hands starting to shake, and it only got worse as he read the headline over and over, eyes constantly drawn to the accompanying picture. It felt as though his heart was beating too fast and at the same time not at all. He didn’t hear Ricky joining him in the hallway, nor did he hear the noise that made its way out of his throat. He just felt it, like he felt the floor under his knees and he felt Ricky tug the newspaper out of his hands. 

Ricky didn’t say anything. He just sat down on the floor with Tinsley and when Tinsley finally looked up he found him staring at the wall, his expression blank. The newspaper laid on the floor in front of him, the headline unreadable from Tinsley’s position, but he didn’t have to read it. It was the only thing repeating in his head, after all. 

_”Woman Found Dead”. _

And a picture of Francesca. They hadn’t gotten her name right, but it was unmistakably her. 

”God fucking damn it” Ricky’s voice was strained. Tinsley wanted to say something back, but found that nothing came out. It took him some time to realize that he’d been holding his breath for god knew how long. 

”I’m sorry” He finally managed to croak ”I’m sorry, I should have-” 

”It’s not your fault” Ricky’s answer was automatic, but his face reassured Tinsley that it was genuine, and almost made him believe it was true. 

”We’ll kill Jones” Ricky continued, seemingly talking to himself ”It can’t be anyone but him, right? So we make him pay for this” 

”We can’t. She didn’t want us to” Oh, but Tinsley wanted to. He’d never wanted anything more, it felt like. 

”To hell with that” Ricky finally raised his voice. It rang through the corridor, then left it in complete silence as the two looked at each other for nearly a full minute, never breaking eye contact. Then, Tinsley slowly stood up. He took a shaky breath and brushed his pants off.

”Yeah” He said ”To hell with that” 

The streets outside the police station were dark, the streetlights only serving to further contrast the shadows their light couldn’t reach. Tinsley had, for the occasion, worn a dark coat and now blended into the shadows almost as well as Ricky. They hadn’t moved for hours, watching the police officers leave the station one by one, none of them the one they were looking for. A few windows had gone dark in the large building, but it was still full of activity. Whenever Jones came out, it’d be tricky to get to him without anyone noticing, but Tinsley wasn’t all too worried. He had an expert with him after all. 

He wrapped his coat tighter around himself, then stuffed his hands in his pockets, never taking his eyes off the door to the station. All the time standing still was starting to get to him and he desperately wanted to move around a little, but he forced himself to stay still, until finally Jones stepped out of the station. 

The police chief strolled down the street, passing Tinsley and Ricky without taking any notice of them. Tinsley cast a glance at Ricky, who gestured for him to follow then snuck after Jones as silent as a shadow. The two didn’t follow him far before Ricky caught up and pushed the man into an empty alleyway and quickly headed in himself, followed by Tinsley. 

Jones landed on the ground with a yelp and looked up just in time to catch Ricky’s fist square in the jaw. He fell back again and Ricky stalked closer, while Tinsley remained closer to the entrance to the alley, intending to block Jones’ way if he tried to get out. 

Ricky moved in for another punch, but halted slightly when Jones threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender. 

”Wait!” He cried ”I know what you think, but you’re wrong. I promise” 

”Once more, from the top. But say it like you mean it this time” Ricky’s voice was calm. Eerily so, and the unspoken threat did not go lost on Jones. 

”I didn’t kill Francesca” His voice was starting to sound desperate ”I know you have all the reason to think so, but I swear to you I didn’t do it”

”Cute” Ricky snorted ”What do you say Tinman? Wanna do the honors?” 

Tinsley looked at Jones. He was on his elbows and knees, looking up at the two with pleading eyes, mouthing a ”Please”. A bruise was starting to form where Ricky had hit him, and his coat had gotten dirty where he’d landed. Tinsley continued looking at him, and felt his jaw clench. 

”I think he’s telling the truth” He finally said, noticing that Jones relaxed while Ricky spun around to face Tinsley. 

”_What_?” 

”Well at least I’m fairly certain” Tinsley took a few steps forward, then crouched in front of Jones, addressing him now. 

”That _doesn’t _mean I particularly care for your wellbeing, sir. For all I care my friend here can do whatever he pleases to you” Jones’ eyes flicked to Ricky for a moment at that, while Tinsley continued ”However, you can make yourself useful, if you just tell us the details of the case” 

Jones didn’t say a word, but Tinsley decided he’d wait a little while longer and bit back the ”Please” he almost added on reflex. Finally, Jones started speaking. 

”She was found in the river. Burnt beyond recognition, but with a few belongings we could use to identify her. I-” He swallowed ”I never wanted this to happen to her, you have to understand that. I didn’t want to hire her, and she did a shoddy job, but this shouldn’t have happened” 

”Relevant details, please” Ricky interrupted him and Jones shut up momentarily, then got back on track. 

”We know she was with someone, judging from the tracks at the scene, but we haven’t been able to find out who” Jones started to sit up properly ”We haven’t found any other bodies, so we presume it’s her killer” 

_No it’s not, _Tinsley felt a wave of…something wash over him. It wasn’t quite relief, but it was something in that area. Because there was only one person he could imagine would have been with Francesca at the time, and if they hadn’t found any other bodies that meant he could assume Joan was alive, at least. He kept his eyes on Jones, but addressed Ricky when he spoke. 

”Ricky, can you drive?” 

”Of course” Ricky huffed. 

”Great. And Jones you’d be able to get us to where she was found, right?” He hoped his tone conveyed that ”No” was not an acceptable answer right now. It appeared as though he succeeded, because Jones nodded and stood up, then obediently followed as Ricky left the alley, looking around for an appropriate car. he finally set his eyes on one that wasn’t exactly discreet, but would have to suffice, and broke into it like it was nothing. A clear upside was that there were no backdoors. You had to push the front seats forward to get into the backseat, meaning they could put Jones there without having to worry about him trying to get out while Ricky drove. 

In between asking for directions, Tinsley took the opportunity to ask for updates on other cases, learning quite a lot during the ride. Besides Francesca’s death there’d been another axe murder just a few hours earlier, and the Fear case was being heavily investigated. He’d survived, apparently, having been found by a milkman on the road quite far from his home. Tinsley thought that was a bit odd, but figured the doctor hadn’t wanted anyone investigating his home and stumbling upon what he had hidden in the basement. 

After about twenty minutes they finally reached the riverbank and Ricky stopped the car. They got out and pulled Jones with them until they ended up at a spot surrounded by police tape, fluttering slightly in the wind. 

”Here it is” Jones said, stating the obvious. Ignoring him, Tinsley stepped over the tape, careful not to touch any of the marks in the mud. There was a large one in the middle of the tape, which Tinsley could only assume was where Francesca had been found. Feeling a wave of nausea, he pushed the thought down, forcing himself to see this as just another case. An equation missing a variable. 

There were footprints all around the body, some probably belonging to the police officers that had been sent to the scene. One set did stick out, though. They were a little strange-looking, but clear footprints, leading from the large mark, down to the river. Tinsley narrowed his eyes at them, then turned around as he heard someone approaching him from behind. 

”We presume that was the killer” The someone turned out to be Jones ”They must’ve had a boat waiting for them, if they didn’t swim” 

_Boat. _Tinsley’s eyes widened. It could just be a coincidence, but-

”Thank you, mr Jones. We’re done here” He stood up and made for the car, letting Jones in before getting into the passenger seat himself. Ricky cast him a questioning glance as he sat down in the driver’s seat, but didn’t say anything as he started the car and began the drive back to the city. Now that he knew the way, it didn’t take him nearly as long to drive and they were back at the police station in less than fifteen minutes. There, Tinsley stepped out of the car and let Jones get out, then immediately got back in before Ricky had the time to kill the engine. 

”Goodnight” He said, as he closed the door, after which Ricky immediately started driving again, leaving Jones alone on the sidewalk outside the police station. 

”So” Ricky said, keeping his eyes on the road ”Where to?” 

”Swamp’s End” Tinsley put on his seatbelt and took a deep breath ”It’s just a hunch, but Banjo’s connected to Francesca in some way, and he has a boat. It might just be a coincidence, but all things considered…” 

Ricky thought for a moment before responding. 

”It’s something, at least” He took a pause before continuing ”And even if it turns out to be nothing he might know something else” 

”Exactly” Tinsley nodded, and the two of them fell silent. With Ricky driving they were out of Los Demonios way faster than when they’d taken the bus, and soon there was nothing but cornfields around the road. No car passed them, and Tinsley found that a little odd until he checked the time and found that it had gone from being late at night to early morning. 

”What was that back then, by the way?” Ricky suddenly asked. 

”What?” 

”You know-” He took one hand off the wheel for a moment to make an obscure gesture ”The whole threatening act. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you act scary in any way” 

”I’ll take that as a compliment” Tinsley looked out the window and thought back to his interaction with Jones, finding that he too wasn’t sure where his behavior had come from. He shrugged. 

”Desperate times, desperate measures” 

”Checks out” Ricky nodded ”It really did surprise me, though. I thought you were gonna hit him for a second, there” 

Tinsley just rolled his eyes and told Ricky to drive. 

They arrived at the Swamp’s End busstop just as the sun started to rise, and Ricky parked the car next to the trail. Both of them got out, without bothering to lock the car, and started walking through the dewy grass towards the bridge. 

Someone had taken the lantern down since last time they were there, Tinsley noted as he stepped onto it with a loud creak. He didn’t stop to ponder that, however, just continued walking, a second creak confirming to him that Ricky had followed. They walked in single file through the swamp once again, the sunlight now revealing things Tinsley hadn’t noticed the previous times he’d taken this walk. The glint in the water whenever a fish got close to the surface. A frog sitting on a stone close to one of the many small islands strewn around the swamp. It was strangely beautiful, Tinsley thought, as he turned the last corner before Banjo’s house. 

It became visible not far off, the boat still tied up outside it. As Tinsley got closer he realized that someone was sitting on the house’s porch. 

Then, when he got even closer, his eyes widened with realization of who that person was. 

He picked up his pace, sprinting the last few meters, the noise evidently catching Francesca’s attention. She looked up from her magazine and stood up with a smile, stepping off the porch just in time to meet Tinsley as he reached the house. Ricky wasn’t far behind, and to Tinsley’s surprise he pulled Francesca into a tight hug before any of them had time to say anything. Tinsley didn’t hesitate for a second before joining. 

”God, I was getting tired of waiting” Tinsley couldn’t see Francesca’s face, but could tell her accusatory tone was faked nonetheless. He hugged her tighter, only letting go when he heard someone opening the house’s door, followed by Joan calling out to him and Ricky. 

”Oh, you _finally _came!” She hugged him as well, then quickly moved on to Ricky. Tinsley watched his three friends, and felt a slightly dopey grin spread across his face. He didn’t want to say anything, feeling like it’d ruin the moment somehow, but he did think. 

_Thank god you’re safe. _

About an hour later they were sat in Banjo’s kitchen, with a cup of slightly green-tinted tea each. Banjo himself had just excused himself, saying he wanted to let the four have some privacy and had went to work on something he didn’t quite specify. 

”But really” Ricky grinned ”Faking your own death? It’s a tad dramatic, don’t you think?” 

”I’m very good at it” Francesca shrugged and took a sip of her tea ”Besides, it’s a good way to get people off your trail. The right people, that is” 

”It was rather exciting, too” Joan chimed in ”I’m just sorry we couldn’t tell you” 

”So am I” Francesca’s face fell slightly ”It’s just- Well, I couldn’t risk you revealing something on accident. And I was certain you’d find us eventually” 

”Don’t listen to her” Joan elbowed Francesca lightly ”She’s been worried sick since we got here” 

”Shut up” Francesca seemed like she was trying to glare at Joan, but couldn’t help but smile at her. 

”We were going to give it three days” Joan explained, ignoring Francesca ”Before…” 

Her smile suddenly faded, and she looked down at her cup. Tinsley frowned. 

”Before what?” 

”Well, we talked about it” She scratched the back of her neck ”And we decided that with both Fear and Jones after us it might be best to…disappear. At least for a while” 

”Oh” Tinsley looked down as well ”So you’re leaving?” 

”Yes” Joan nodded ”We’d hoped we’d get to say goodbye properly, at least” 

The room fell silent, none of them sure of what to say next. Tinsley looked from Joan to Francesca, trying to think of something. Something reassuring, maybe? Could he ask them to stay, or would that just make something already difficult worse? In the end, what he settled for was: 

”So where are you going?” 

”We haven’t decided yet” Francesca shrugged ”Here and there, as far away from here as possible” 

”But you’ll stick together?” It was a stupid question, but Tinsley just wanted to confirm. 

”Of course” Joan reached out and put her hand on Francesca’s on the table. The gesture made Francesca turn to her and the two exchanged an unreadable glance. Tinsley hesitated for a moment, but figured that this would be his last chance to ask. 

”So is that in a really close friendship way or…” He trailed off, feeling kind of awkward. It really wasn’t his business, now that he thought about it and even if it had been- 

”In an…item way” Francesca turned her hand to take Joan’s ”I hope that doesn’t bother you” 

”No, of course not!” Tinsley smiled reassuringly ”I’m happy for you two. Honestly” 

”So am I” Ricky cut in ”Though I’m less happy about you leaving, but it can’t be helped I suppose” 

He stood up and placed his hands on the table. 

”Me and Tinman should be getting back into town. We’ll tell Jones we didn’t find anything. And if we ever see each other again I promise to give you a copy of your obituaries” 

Joan laughed heartily, and both Francesca and Tinsley smiled. Still, the mood wasn’t exactly light. As he looked at Joan and Francesca, Tinsley quickly felt his smile fade. _At least we get to say goodbye, _he reminded himself as they left the kitchen. It wasn’t the most comforting of thoughts, in fact, Tinsley thought it sounded like a parent comforting their crying child when said child’s dog had to be put down. It wasn’t anything nearly as drastic, of course, but it sure did feel like it. 

Joan and Francesca had stood up as well, and Tinsley quickly gathered his thoughts and joined them. The four of them stepped outside, and Tinsley blinked against the midday sun as Francesca called out for Banjo, saying they were ready to leave. 

”This swamp goes on for miles” She explained ”He’ll drop us of somewhere far from here and then-” 

A loud creak cut her off, and both her and Tinsley’s heads immediately snapped to where it had come from. Tinsley noted that Joan and Ricky too, were looking at the source of the noise, namely officer Jones taking the turn towards the house on the bridge. He froze when he noticed the group staring at him, but was quick to act, drawing a gun and aiming it at them. 

Slowly, and with his weapon still raised, he walked the rest of the bridge, reaching the island just as Banjo emerged from behind the house, giving a startled yelp when he noticed Jones. Jones ignored him, keeping his eyes forward and his gun slightly to his right, where Ricky stood. A smart move, Tinsley had to admit. 

”Well, if this ain’t just perfect” Jones seemed quite relaxed for someone who must have- if Tinsley assumed correctly and he’d been following them from the moment they left Los Demonios- spent quite some time rummaging through the bushes around Swamp’s End’s bus station and ended up late because of it. 

”What do you want?” Ricky went straight to the point and Jones smirked. 

”Just wanted to know where you two were in such a hurry to get to, and _voilá_” He gestured with his unarmed hand towards the group ”All of you gathered in one place. Makes things easier for me” 

”What are you gonna do, shoot us?” Tinsley was pretty certain the answer to that was ”Yes”, but asking wouldn’t hurt, at least not more than being shot undoubtedly would. 

”Most of you” Jones shrugged and sent Banjo a sympathetic glance ”Sorry to have to drag you into this, sir, but do know that I take no pleasure from it” 

As Banjo muttered something about that not being in any way reassuring, Tinsley frantically looked around, trying to come up with something. Could he get Jones to take his gun down? Unlikely, and Jones would be able to see him coming so any attempt at trying to get it by force would be doomed. 

”Now” Jones interrupted Tinsley’s thinking ”Miss Joan, if you please” 

He gestured with his free hand for her to come closer, but she didn’t take a step. For a moment, the moment seemed frozen, with no one making a sound and no one moving a muscle. Then, the splash of a fish in the water cut through the silence and the world started back up in an instant, with Jones’ expression darkening. 

”It wasn’t a question, miss” His voice was a growl, low and menacing ”Come here, before I have to use more drastic means” 

”You can’t shoot me from here?” Joan stubbornly remained still, as she said what Tinsley had been thinking for a while now. The comment just made Jones chuckle, however. 

”Who says I’m shooting you? I only said I’d kill _most _of you. _You _however-” His smile seemed to turn inward, as though he was proud of himself ”Well, I’m sure Fear will be happy to see you when he wakes up” 

_Oh. _

_Oh god fucking damn it. _

”You’re working for Fear?” Tinsley was startled, sure, but he couldn’t say the revelation surprised him, per se. Fear and Jones did seem like they would get along swimmingly. 

”I prefer to use ”with”, but basically, yeah” Jones shrugged ”Now, where were we?” 

He did nothing for a second, giving off the impression that he was thinking, but Tinsley suspected it was mainly for show. Jones knew the value of theatricality, it seemed.

”That’s right” He finally said ”Miss Joan, you were just about to come here like a good girl” 

Joan did the opposite of that, still remaining where she stood and crossing her arms in silent protest. Tinsley appreciated the sentiment, figuring that even though it didn’t exactly improve their situation it couldn’t very well make it worse. Thus, he too crossed his arms in solidarity and glared at Jones as hard as he could, figuring that Joan was probably doing the same. Jones’ eyes were fixed on her, it seemed, meeting her gaze with narrow eyes. 

Then, Tinsley noticed, something about Jones expression changed. His eyes widened slightly and his jaw unclenched. He still had his gun raised, but the finger on the trigger relaxed as well, in what seemed to be an almost involuntary reaction. Tinsley felt his brows knit in confusion, trying to remember where he recognized the actions from. He was certain he’d seen them somewhere, if only he could- 

It suddenly hit him. He hadn’t seen it, he’d _done _it himself. 

”Keep your eyes on him Joan” He called out ”Try telling him to do something” 

”Uhh…” Joan bit her lower lip nervously ”Step back” 

Jones did so, with the same obedience Tinsley remembered experiencing when ms Doroftei had told him to drink, amongst other things. Amazed, he watched as Jones backed, not showing any sign of questioning his actions until he had one foot in the swamp water. Then he stopped, his expression turning confused and then horrified. He still didn’t move. 

”Drop your weapon” Joan’s voice was more commanding now. More steady and secure. 

”Why would I do that?” Jones had to force the question out, his grip on the gun tightening and loosening so fast it almost looked like his hand was pulsating. 

”Drop it” 

”Never!” Jones’ jaw snapped shut and cut off the word a little too early. 

”Tinsley, I don’t think this is working” Joan’s arms had fallen to her sides, her fists clenched tight. She was straining herself, Tinsley realized and he quickly looked over the scene, trying to decide on a way to help. Finally, he took a hesitant step forward, finding that he got no reaction from Jones. He took another, and from the corner of his eye he saw both Ricky and Francesca doing the same. The three of them got more and more secure, with Ricky being the first to start sprinting, Francesca and Tinsley following soon after. 

Ricky, of course, reached Jones first, and that seemed to finally snap the man out of his hypnosis because he aimed his pistol at Ricky. It was too late, however, because Ricky was already close enough to grab his arm and bend the weapon away. A shot rang out but only served to scare a few birds, who cackled loudly. 

Not a second later, Tinsley and Francesca arrived and took on Jones with Ricky. Francesca struck him across the face just as Ricky tore the gun from his hand completely and threw it to the side to be picked up by Banjo. Joan too, joined the rather unfair fight, and it was only moments before Jones laid on the bridge, soaked in swamp water and gasping for air. 

”Now” Francesca too had some trouble breathing ”What do we do with this guy?” 

”We could kill him” Ricky, predictably, suggested and Francesca rolled her eyes. 

”I thought I told you we can’t do that. He’s too much of a big shot, okay” She looked around the group ”Any other suggestions?” 

”We could cut his tongue out” Ricky smiled sweetly ”He won’t be able to tell anyone, then” 

”All in favor of anything but that say ”aye”” Tinsley cut in, and was met by a resounding ”Aye” from everyone but Ricky, who seemed to take the vote somewhat personally, because he muttered something Tinsley couldn’t quite make out but which did sound rude. 

A creak suddenly made the group turn to the bridge, finding that Jones had gotten up and was running as fast as he could away from them. The tongue thing must have scared him, Tinsley reasoned as Joan and he got up and sprinted after him. Francesca yelled something about her and Ricky catching up later with Banjo’s boat and Tinsley stopped for a moment to turn around and give the two a thumbs up, before continuing, now a few meters behind Joan and Jones. 

The three rounded the corner and reached the longer stretch of the bridge. There, Jones climbed onto the railing, and without hesitation he jumped onto one of the patches of land, sinking to his ankles the moment he landed. He got out, however, and by the time Joan caught up to him he was running of into the woods, away from the bridge. Joan quickly followed him, managing to jump far enough not to land in the mud. Tinsley, however, didn’t quite make it and ended up getting his right leg so far sunken into the mud it took him almost a full minute to get out. He finally pulled his leg out with a triumphant noise, then turned around only to find he could no longer see Joan, much less Jones between the trees. 

”Joan!” He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted as loud as he could, but got no response. Taking a few, aimless steps forward he tried again, still to no avail. Oh well, he figured Joan could handle herself. 

Walking at his usual pace, which was still decently fast, he headed into the trees, looking right and left for any sign of Joan. Now and then, he’d come across a footstep in the mud, assuring him that he was still on the right path, but for a long time that was it. 

Then came a loud shriek. It did not sound like Jones. 

In an instant, Tinsley was running, screaming for Joan again. He got smacked in the face by low hanging branches, and nearly tripped on roots more than a few times, as he hurried in the direction of the sound, terrified of what he might find. Finally, the trees opened up at the edge of the little island, revealing Jones holding Joan close with something he’d wrapped around her neck. A small silver chain, which she gripped tightly, her eyes tightly shut and her jaw clenched so hard Tinsley worried she might break her teeth for a moment. She struggled slightly, and something slipped into view on the chain. A small crucifix. 

Tinsley thought about his options for approximately two seconds, not enough to fully stop even. He just slowed down slightly, before making up his mind and continuing to run, as fast as he could. Jones noticed, of course, and let Joan go to defend himself, looking a little more confident now that the match was more even. Possibly slightly tipped in Jones’ favor, unless Joan recovered quickly, but Tinsley elected to pay no mind to that. He continued his sprint until he’d reached Jones, who raised his fists in a defensive stance, expecting a punch. Tinsley, however, had no such plans. As he heard the low hum of a motorboat approaching, he tackled Jones as hard as he could, sending them both into the swamp. 

The water surrounded them, stinging Tinsley’s nose and muffling the sound of Joan calling for Ricky, Francesca and Banjo. He ignored both those things, shifting all his focus onto Jones who was sinking beneath him. The police chief looked surprised, or at least Tinsley was pretty sure he did. It was sort of hard to tell, with the water being muddy enough to blur his vision into a sea of vaguely object-shaped blobs of color. 

Jones acted first, regaining his composure impressively fast and spinning the two around. He tore at Tinsley’s clothes and hair, but it was hard to get a grip in the water. Tinsley too, became aware of this as he found that Jones limbs seemed to slip out of his grasp whenever he reached for them. All in all, it was a rather uneventful fight in terms of actual damage being done, until Tinsley finally managed to get a grip on something that felt like a throat and squeezed. Jones flailed, and tried to reach Tinsley, but being a few centimeters shorter than the detective, he only managed to weakly scratch at Tinsley’s shoulders. 

The moment Jones went limp, Tinsley let him go and let him slowly float to the surface, remembering what Francesca had said about not killing. Jones was just passed out, so he’d be fine. Probably. With his lungs screaming for air, Tinsley kicked, intending to make his way up. 

But nothing happened. 

He tried again, harder this time and feeling slightly panicked, but found that he couldn’t move his right leg. The realization of what was going on hit him as he drew an involuntary lungful of water. He was stuck in something. 

Feeling his chest ache, he forced himself to turn downwards, going against all rational instincts. He felt his way down his leg, finally finding the root of the issue, literally. His foot had gotten tangled in a tree root which refused to budge, no matter how hard he tried to bend it. Was his vision going blurry? Tinsley couldn’t tell if that was the case or if it was just the water. He swore to himself, as he yanked at the root, still with no success and with his fingers going dangerously weak. 

Now there was definitely something up with his vision. The edges of his field of view were darkening, a solid black creeping in and threatening to take over completely. Tinsley blinked, trying to force it away and it worked, if only for a second. He furiously continued blinking, willing himself to stay conscious no matter what. The water was starting to feel less unforgivingly cold, but he was deadly certain that was anything but a good sign. He blinked harder, nearly screaming in horror when he opened his eyes to find that the world had gone completely black, only to then remember that he hadn’t opened his eyes at all. It was starting to get harder and harder to do so and he found himself keeping them closed for longer and longer intervalls. 

One last time, he opened his eyes, and saw someone floating right in front of him. 

It was a man, with long, brown hair that billowed around his face like smoke. His face was clear, which was odd considering both Tinsley's vision problems and the water, which had previously made things almost impossible to see. But the man was harder _not_ to see. He somehow remained before Tinsley no matter how hard he tried to get back to freeing himself. As easy to hear as if they’d both been on land, he said something that Tinsley immediately forgot, in an accent he couldn’t for the life of him place. 

Then, just as Tinsley felt something touching his trapped leg, he blacked out. 

”Tinman! _Tinman!_” 

Tinsley slowly blinked, seeing the blurred silhouettes of tree branches filtering the sun above him. He was just about to say something, when he got slapped across the face and that something ended up being ”Ow”. 

”Oh thank god” It sounded like Ricky, and Tinsley made sure to remember this moment so he could tease his friend about it when he got better. 

”What happened?” He asked, his voice hoarse. 

”Fran managed to get you out” Ricky helped Tinsley sit up, leaning him against the railing of the boat they were on. Banjo’s, Tinsley presumed. 

”It wasn’t easy” She shook her head, splashing water from her hair all over the deck in the process ”You were stuck pretty bad” 

”Yeah, I noticed” Tinsley chuckled and was immediately sent into a violent coughing fit. Once he was done he cleared his throat and wiped his mouth of all the water he’d coughed up. 

”What about Jones?” He asked. 

”He ran off” Joan looked worried, and rightfully so. Jones getting back to Los Demonios meant he could report both her and Francesca as not as missing, respectively dead as previously thought. Their plan was ruined. 

”God damn it” Tinsley sighed ”I’m sorry. I should have-” 

”Not it’s- You didn’t do anything” Francesca sighed too, and looked out over the passing water. From what Tinsley could see they were getting closer to the end of the swamp, the trees getting further and further between. 

”So what do we do?” He asked, after a moment of silent thinking ”Do we take more drastic action?” 

”I just don’t know what that would be” Francesca sat down on deck, soon joined by the others ”After this he’ll no doubt get himself more security. He’ll be impossible to touch” 

”Not necessarily” Ricky interrupted ”He said he works for Fear right?” 

”Yeah” Joan nodded. 

”I found that odd, see last time I checked he was working for Night Night and Legs” 

The group stared at Ricky with wide eyes. Tinsley immediately felt his brain kick into gear, trying to wrap his head around this, as well as what Francesca had told him before he and Ricky had left for Swamp’s End the first time. 

”Wait, that doesn’t make any sense. When I worked with him he said he was taking them down” Francesca said the very thing Tinsley had been thinking about. 

”And how much o you wanna bet they know that?” Ricky smirked ”I say, we just get some evidence of what he’s been up to, drop it at their doorstep and have them take him out with us. Then, when they’ve got control of the police force again we’ll just be on our merry way without a mark on our records” 

Tinsley stared in stunned silence at his friend. It was a good plan. In fact, it was a _great _plan. And while it wasn’t at all the point, it was comforting to see Ricky bring up working with his brother so easily. It felt like progress, Tinsley thought, even if Night Night might not be as interested in the idea as Ricky. 

”That might actually work” Francesca looked almost excited ”And since it’s Fear he’s working for we might have a shot at getting rid of him too” 

”Exactly” Ricky’s grin widened, matched by both Francesca and Joan. Tinsley too, felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, though he couldn’t quite match his friends’ enthusiasm with how exhausted he still was. 

The boat came to a halt, as the waters finally cleared up ahead, and Banjo stepped out on deck, greeting Tinsley with a nod. 

”Where to now, people?” He asked. 

”As close to Los Demonios as you can get without being seen” Francesca ordered ”We have a plan” 

Banjo just laughed cheerfully in response, and stepped back into the cabin. Moments later, the engine started back up, and the boat started moving, the movements of it rocking Tinsley into a peaceful, dreamless sleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> YEET it's been 84 years but I'm gonna try and get this done. I've got two more chapters planned and will probably end it after that but I've said so before so who knows tbh, anyway pwease comment for lesbian rights


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